Likes
- The final scene with Miguel Angel & Walt. This definitely wasn't a conversation they had, but more of a foreshadowing for the next couple of Narcos Mexico seasons. Sets the stage for the fukkery to come in Mexico.
- Isabella takes Ls from all angles. She did have the Colombians' attention and was eventually able to make money with them. But what's crazy is that character, in real life, is/was related to both Felix (niece) and Rafa (family member). That's why she was able to move in those circles, which Narcos never explained. Her family was deep in the game years before. She's not just some thot trying to come up on her looks. She's what the Queen of the South supposedly was based on.
- I liked how they built up Amado's and Chapo's characters. Both experienced betrayal (Cochiloco & Acosta) from Felix, both had to take losses in order to step back and learn the game, both were loyal to their plaza bosses and survived.
- The origins of Chapo's tunnel game. Interested to see how they handle that expansion and the upcoming war with Tijuana
- Felix' vision for Juarez combined with Amado's knowledge and creativity with planes, runways and routes. We'll see his reign in Season 3.
- The Arellano Felix sister's business acumen and vision. The whole family though always seemed a bit "off' to me. Ramon was portrayed like a temperamental psychopath and child-like at times. The brother who got out of jailed was getting clowned repeatedly by Sinaloa about doing "things" while in jail.
- Walt caused the death of most of his team. I think he was the only one who went on the final raid of Amado to make it back.
- Calderoni's character. If only these gung-ho dudes would've just listened to him. I understand that no one could be trusted, but he kept it 100% with them and they knew it. He was all about his survival, not the cops and robbers fantasies that Walt's revenge crew was about.
- I like how Acosta's old-school values eventually swayed how Amado saw things. He stood on his stubborn principles and that led to honor and respect on his plaza.
- I liked the contrast of how they showed Miguel Angel's ruthlessness and business shrewdness, which got him all that power in Mexico, but led to him living a very lonely life with no one to trust or love him as The Godfather vs. Juan Nepomuceno Guerra and Acosta in their plazas, who loved and respected them thoroughly.
Dislikes
- The writing and timeline is so far off and all over the place.
- Tooooo much time spent on Acosta and Kevin Bacon's daughter's (Mimi) scenes
- The Narcos' franchise need to always have US agents front and center in these Latin American countries, like no one talks...like they just "fit in." It's unbelievable in every sense of the word. These dudes going all vigilante and no one in these hoods spots them and rats them out to the local plazas???
- Walt is Camarena 2.0 with the family, and the blond agent from Narcos seasons 1 & 2. They are all written the same way. A device to grossly enhance US law enforcement involvement.
- Felix's organization didn't break up with a vote, as they showed in this series. When he was captured in 1989, he gave orders to his lawyer on how to break up the plazas. Sinaloa went to Parma and Chapo, and Tijuana went to his nephews. Juarez went to the Carrillo Fuentes Organization under Don Neto, and Amado took over 4 years later. Gulf was never a part of his organization, and actually Abrego was the head of it since the 1970s, not Juan Nepomuceno Guerra. And Sonora was given to Rafa's brother. I'm guessing that's supposedly what the Azul meeting at the end was supposed to be as well.
- In the interest of sex appeal and cheap writing, they keep re-writing Isabella's and the Arellano Felix family's relationship with Miguel Angel Felix Gallardo. They were all family lol. These writer dudes got Isabella (his niece) trying to get Miguel to knock her down repeatedly lol. The Arellano Felix brothers were his nephews.
- They really downplayed and watered down the Clavel character. He was Parma's partner in their own cartel years prior. He was with Parma's sister at one point. After Parma came from doing a bid, he found out that his wife had left him for Clavel. Clavel forced Parma's wife to withdraw millions from her bank accounts, then killed and decapitated her. Later he took the kids to Venezuela and threw them off a bridge on the border with Colombia. Narcos got this dude showing remorse.... Felix didn't order the killings to discipline Parma, as told in this series. Clavel didn't work under Felix until after all of this.
- Quavo??? I want to say shark was jumped, but it was only a couple of scenes. Still very poor choice IF they wanted to bring LA into the game.